1983 DB very fine a few months ago
83 baby here.
83 Mosel is great (JJ prum aus DROOL)
83 Chave is probably my favorite 83 there is.
83 la Chapelle is no slouch but it’s not Chave.
83 Margaux is damn good too
I’ve had some nice 83 red burgs too, much maligned but I think some are decent. 83 Claur Doi Bonnes Mares was very tasty.
On the Napa side, the 1983 Groth Reserve Cabernet has shown very well twice in the past two years for me.
Cheers!
Steve
I second the mosel in 1983, and compare to the other options, they are a bargain - but then again, what can you source in the US on this front? I am located max an hour away. I am also from 1983. If you are able to locate some wines in the region, I am happy to check if I can pick them up. Just pm me.
Had an 83 Leoville las Cases a few months ago and it was in great shape - easily the best wine on the night.
I’m ‘83 as well. I think it’s a very underrated vintage in Bordeaux as well as in Burgundy. Excellent vintage in most of Germany. I’ve had some phenomenal over the last three or four years including Palmer, Leovilla Barton, Figeac, Margaux, GPL, Gruaud Larose, Belair (excellent QPR); also look for Gurgue and other smaller producers from Margaux. From Burgundy I’ve had quite a few great wines, mostly from the usual suspects. Hermitage la Chapelle has been superb but a lot of bottle variation. A lot of good wines from Sauternes, as well as the Loire. Outside of France, Egon Muller produced some corkers if you can get a hold of a bottle - it was a great vintage in the Saar and Ruwer, though slightly less so in the Mosel. Barca Velha is excellent and quite a few ports are excellent (Grahams was very good recently).
I disagree with Latour being the best ´83, not even “one of the best” -
imho it´s a good effort, but not really outstanding.
Palmer/ Ch.Margaux are much better … and I would prefer even wines like Gruaud-L (!), Talbot, Pichon-Lalande … Las Cases …
and reg. price Brane-Cantenac, Cantemerle, La Lagune …
and in the South La Mission-HB and HB …
… and in Pomerol: Lafleur (!), L´Evangile, Latour a Pomerol …
Burgundy can be really fine, but unfortunately also the opposite … and the best are really hard to find (and afford).
Some great wines in the Northern and Southern Rhone, not only in Hermitage (Chave, also La Chapelle) and Cote-Rotie (Rostaing ! besides Guigal, Gentaz,D., Clape), but also in Chateauneuf-du-Pape … Pegau is great, Rayas is great (but almost impossible to find), but also other CdPs can be outstanding (Vieux Telegraph … Beaucastel, Bois de Boursan (!))
having tasted both of these bottles, I can confirm Salil’s notes 
Good topic for my first post. I’ve been buying and drinking '83’s as my birth year wine for almost a decade (started in my early 20’s).
Bordeaux: Moulin Des Carruades (2nd wine of Lafite, under previous name) is fantastic and available for around $200.
Also enjoyed the 1983 Gruaud Larose. A bottle of the '83 Leovile Poyferre I had was tired and fading, but your mileage may vary (and you might have better luck with a Magnum).
Sauterne: Guirard was great. Haven’t opened Riussec or Suduiraut but supposed to be delicious.
Port: Good vintage across all major producers. Try the 1983 Graham or Gould Campbell’s.
I still have '83 Talbot in my cellar that is drinking beautifully. That vintage is a very solid choice in much of Bordeaux.
'83 had some great Burgs but too many seemed pretty freakish and were ridden with rot. Bordeaux or a Northern Rhone seems a much better safe bet.
Another vote for 83 Margaux, Gruaud and Talbot. Three of my favorites from that year. Both 1983 and 1981 were good years which were overshadowed by 1982.
Just picked up some Rausan Segla and Beychevelle because of you lot. All your fault.
Ah Ha! Back in the game.
I never left! I said I was done buying recent vintage reds. And while I was tempted to buy some more 14 Leo Barton, I have stuck to it. Honestly, it hasn’t been all that hard. I just saw an offer on 16 bdx, and it suddenly dawned on me that I have been blissfully ignorant of the vintage!
I always will keep an eye on $75 and under backfills for current drinking
Seriously, at this point the only young wine I’m buying is white wine and rose for the summer.
83 in northern California was the biggest trainwreck of a vintage. '98 and '11 not even close.
Agreed. And don’t forget the little wines of Margaux; d’Angludet produced a superb wine in '83 that’s still drinking beautifully -
Second the 1983 Grahams. Should be easy to find as well. Would avoid Taylor’s, however. Middling quality for them.
I’ve not been impressed with 83 Fonseca either.
Interesting. Love the 1986. I don’t recall having an '83. They had a nice run in the early '80s. Hope all is well!